paco rabanne

Phantom vs. 1 Million Comparison

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1 Million is a fragrance which has been a best seller for a long time for Paco Rabanne. One of the brand’s latest releases, has also become very popular, it’s called Phantom.

1 Million is a scent that I’ve very familiar with and I’ve tested out and reviewed Phantom EDP, too.

Which cologne is better? Lasts longer? Is the one to buy?

Tale of the Tape: Phantom vs. 1 Million

1 Million

Notes include: grapefruit, blood orange, rose, mint, cinnamon, amber, leather, patchouli, and more

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne 1 Million Eau de Toilette Spray for Men, 3.4 Fluid Ounce

Read my original review: 1 Million Cologne Review

Phantom

Notes include: lemon, lemon zest, lavender, patchouli, vetiver, apple, smoke, and more

Click here to try: Phantom by Paco Rabanne

Read my review: Phantom

phantom cologne review

Opening

Phantom kicks things off with apple and lemon notes, creating a juiciness that is quite nice. The aroma is semi-tropical and sweet, with the way it ties together. Under that, is lavender and vanilla, further pushing the aromatic creaminess.

That juicy citrus fruit opening will be pushed out by a drier and earthy aroma. The juiciness fades, and patchouli will have its time to shine, with an herbal sort of spice coming together. It dirties it up, and yes, there is a touch of smoke.

The original 1 Million has this grape bubblegum-like opening that has become pretty infamous. This candy scented start is one reason I think this fragrance has pushed some people away from wearing it. Personally, I think that it works just fine and actually enjoy it.

1 Million opens up with leather, citrus, and rose. Together, they create that bubblegum sort of smell. It’s actually a really smooth leather, juicy orange and grapefruit. This is surrounded by a warm and bold amber, with hints of cooling mint.

Overall, which is better? The initial somewhat tropical and juicy aroma of Phantom is enjoyable enough, but after that I’m not too into the earthy lavender scent.

I prefer 1 Million,  it’s still bold and has more depth and a better overall scent, here at the start.

Edge: 1 Million

Projection

Phantom kind of stays true to its name, in terms of how it projects early on. It initially seems like it’s going to be fairly massive, but then will moderate quite a bit in quick succession.

It will then, stick closer to the skin, to create a nice scent bubble.

1 Million is a fragrance which was always massive. But, the last batch I had from 2020, seems to have lost some of that power. It was still around 85% of what it once was, just not nearly the same extent.

However, it still outdoes anything that Phantom can conjure up.

Edge:1 Million

Longevity

With Phantom, I was really only able to get 6 or 7 hours of wear out of it on skin. That’s not bad, maybe a tad above average. It’d be useful for most purposes.

1 Million nowadays, reaches around 8. Sometimes, it might be 7, but my last batch was getting to 8 pretty consistently.

The older batches would hit double digits for me, easily. Those days are gone, but it is still a bit better than Phantom. It just doesn’t have that same overwhelming edge in the performance categories, like it used to.

Edge: 1 Million

Versatility

Phantom works at its best in the chilly weather of autumn and winter. But, it does have the ability to go deeper into the springtime than does 1 Million.

1 Million is pretty limited to colder or moderate temperatures, more casual situations, and a younger audience in general.

I think Phantom has a bit of an edge here. It is better in the warmer climate and as a daily wear too. Both are for younger guys, but Phantom has a tad better use case overall.

Edge: Phantom

Overall Scent

Overall, which one of these do I prefer?

Phantom is kind of a weird cologne. It’s got so much that is recognizable, but it doesn’t smell exactly like any scent in particular. The opening that is citrusy and apple is decent. I like the semi-tropical aroma that it puts out, when combining with the vanilla and lavender note.

After that, it’s not nearly as enjoyable. It becomes earthier with the lavender and a faint smokiness. But, it will shift to being lavender and vanilla dominate with a dry/grassy vetiver and the fruit notes kind of stage a comeback. Just, at a not to the same strength.

1 Million just smells better to me. Also, performs better. It’s sweet, spicy, warm, and still has a boldness to it, even if it has lost a step over time.

Phantom EDP has been followed by a few more releases thus far in the series. I think that Phantom Parfum is somewhat better than the original, but I still would prefer wearing 1 Million EDT to that.

1 Million is a more pleasant experience and gives me higher highs and more consistency. I’m picking it over Phantom every time.

Winner: 1 Million

Invictus Victory by Paco Rabanne

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Invictus Victory was the 2021 flanker release from this popular line. I don’t know if it has caught on quite to the same extent as some of the others, as of yet, but seems to have a generally positive rating among people. I grabbed a sample a while back of this Paco Rabanne cologne and have been testing it out. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Invictus Victory Smell Like?

Notes include: pink pepper, lemon, vanilla, amber, tonka bean, olibanum, and lavender

Click here to try: Invictus Victory

invictus victory review

My Full Review

Here’s how Paco Rabanne describes this cologne: The new Invictus Victory extreme eau de parfum seizes with its power and seduces with its freshness. Instantly, citric lemon notes flow. The woody fragrance of incense strengthens the composition whilst the sensual vanilla wraps itself around a fiery Tonka bean. An eau de parfum that subtly celebrates modern masculinity.

So, this Paco Rabanne is actually not anything like the other entries in the Invictus line of fragrances, and instead, shares a whole lot of overlap with the less popular (but nice) Pure XS line.

It’s almost like they decided to not make a third Pure XS flanker and just rebranded it under the Invictus label. Nonetheless, Victory is a likeable cologne, no matter the nametag it is presenting under.

Pure XS is boozy and sweet. Pure XS Night is spicy and sweet. This is more of a warm gourmand with hints of spice, but with a heavier use of vanilla, tonka bean, and amber.

The opening act gives me a nice dose of lemon, a general warmth, and a peppery kick to round things off. The pink pepper gives it that extra bit of a warm vibe, but isn’t super overwhelming in the mix.

The marketing definitely overplays the lemon note, as it is the weakest of the bunch, and is gone pretty quickly.

It’s also got a smokiness in the very early part of the wear. That’s from the olibanum note, which replaces the myrrh that’s found in the Pure XS scents. Basically, incense. Later, it smells more like a generic wood, just smooth.

As it dries down, that’s when it becomes more of a vanilla and amber based cologne. But, with everything coming together, Invictus Victory actually gets a chocolate smell, also. Sort of a mix between vanilla and chocolate.

Not sugary milk chocolate, mind you, more of a raw cacao. Lavender comes into play, at this point in time.

Clean and smooth for the middle act. Then, a thicker finish with less of the lavender. Really, vanilla is going to dominate. Tonka bean and amber fight out for most of the rest of the space.

Lavender and the general woodiness stick around in a pretty sparing amount.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Sillage wise, Victory doesn’t come across as a powerhouse to me. Strong initially, but fairly middle of the road for much of the duration. You’ll get a nice scent trail going, but it’s projection wasn’t huge off the skin.

Still, it is a solid wear and never felt weak to my nose.

With the longevity, it can go just over eight hours. Maybe nine, depending on the day. That is great for the price range of this. You’ll get your money’s worth from the performance with Victory.

On clothing itself, it will go for days.

Seasonally, this one is an autumn and winter wear for the most part. You could probably sneak it into the early springtime, but I’d pass on spraying it for the summer.

Victory is more of a younger man’s fragrance, like most of the rest of the Invictus scents. It has a nice appeal for the nightlife and should catch attention with its gourmand style. Is it really sexy? Not really, but that delicious attractiveness should do just fine.

Overall Impressions of Invictus Victory

Overall, do I like this fragrance? Yes, I think that it is nice. Victory gives you a youthful gourmand sweetness that is attractive and easy to wear.

The opening is interesting. The brief lemon is a nice touch, that I wish lasted a bit longer. Good smokiness from the incense note.

The dry down isn’t super complex or anything. It’s still good, just doesn’t catch my attention in the same way.

It’s like the long lost brother of the Pure XS line and has some similarities to something like Code Profumo. This one goes heavy on the vanilla and tonka bean, sweet, amber-laden, and  can be a bit too cloying for some.

If you’re not into that sort of fragrance, you might want to skip on Victory. Also considering that it doesn’t have much to do with the other Invictus colognes that have been release. As such, if you’re a fan of those, you might not enjoy this one.

Pure XS by Paco Rabanne

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For today’s review, I’m going to take a closer look at one of the newer Paco Rabanne releases, Pure XS. This cologne was released in 2017, and I’ve been wearing this scent out of my sample vial, in order to collect my thoughts. How does it smell? What are the notes? How long does it last? Is Pure XS even worth a purchase? Please continue below for my full wear review of this fragrance.

What does Pure Xs Smell Like?

Notes: ginger, vanilla, myrrh, thyme, sugar, leather, musk, liquor, cinnamon, cedar, and grapefruit

Click here to try: PACO RABANNE Pure Xs Eau de Toilette Spray, 3.4 Ounce

My Full Wear Review

Before we get into my review of Pure XS, let’s see how Paco Rabanne describes it: Pure XS. Excess in its purest state. An overflow of ginger. The temperature rises. Carnal vanilla and myrrh release. Skin over-heating. An untamed-Oriental, on-fire and fresh, decadent and raw.

Pure XS opens with a boozy and sugary ginger note, that is really quite fresh. It’s a blend of sugar sweetness and spice from a dash of cinnamon that is added at the top. There is the slightest hint of citrus thrown in there to add to that clean feeling.

Immediately, I am reminded of both Code Profumo and La Nuit Eau Electrique. Not because the smell exactly like Pure XS, but that is sort of the same family of fragrance, I’d put this one in.

Warm, spiced, boozy, and sweet. Very nice and confident start to this scent. I actually had no idea what to expect before trying this Paco Rabanne out and was pleasantly surprised by the aroma that I was met with.

It isn’t all that spicy, which is what you’ll get to the follow up Night edition (linked at the bottom). Smooth and enveloping, even if it isn’t an overly heavy fragrance. It produces a nice coziness over  your skin.

As it dries down, the myrrh comes in and gives Pure XS its Oriental edge. I like this note being included here, as it is usually paired with oud a lot, and it’s a nice change of pace within this context. It’s warm, there is a resinous quality, and it is met by an undertone of leather.

Ultimately, what I get with this scent is vanilla and myrrh, as the two main notes. With ginger, leather, and a sugary mix of a few other notes. Myrrh becomes dominant in the composition, the further that it moves along in the wear.

While myrrh isn’t really a mainstream note, that’s in a ton of popular colognes, Pure XS definitely brings the mass appealing elements and is easy to enjoy.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Projection wise, the sillage starts off moderate and within a few hours becomes much lighter. That’s my biggest disappointment with Pure XS, is that, the sillage is kind of weak and it becomes a skin scent too quickly.

Much too soft for what it seems like they’d be going for, with this sort of scent.

I hope they make an intense version or a L’excess variant of this one (update: they released Pure Xs Night, review linked in bottom section). Despite that, the longevity is fairly good, even if it’s a skin scent for most of the wear.

It’ll last around 7 hours or so, on my skin. Again, only for a portion of that time, is it truly noticeable. At first for others, then, for you to be able to detect it.

Seasonally, I feel like this one could be worn year round without much problem. Maybe skip wearing it on the hottest or most humid days, but it’s fine in cold weather or a more moderate springtime. It’s got great versatility as well.

I wouldn’t go for summer, as there are plenty of better options available for those months of the year.

Since it’s light, you could wear this to work or school. It’s fine for casual events. Plus, it’s got a sexy aroma, and would be great for nights out…as long as you’re fine being low key after a few hours. Pure XS seems best for a guy in his 20s to early 30s.

Though, teens can totally use this as well, for a something a bit more mature than the average fare.

Overall Impressions of Pure XS

Overall, do I like Pure XS by Paco Rabanne? Yes. I think that it smells really great. The ginger, vanilla, and myrrh create a nice dynamic and the boozy warmth is almost always something that I enjoy.

There are other colognes that smell similar to this one and it’s projection could be much better, but it’s still a worthwhile wear. I’ve been spraying a bit more than I’d usually wear and that’s boosted it to more of a moderate fragrance for a longer period of time.

Still, the power is the weak spot with this cologne. I might try the Night version, that seems to have a lot of overlap with this original. Update: Pure XS Night review. The Night version has a lot more spice, particularly the ginger note in the opening.

All in all, I think that this is a solid addition to the Paco Rabanne lineup. I don’t think that this was has gotten as many fans as others from this designer, but it is certainly one to check out.

1 Million Parfum by Paco Rabanne

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1 Million has once again spun off another flanker in that gold ingot bottle, this time it’s a Parfum version. I hadn’t done any research on 1 Million Parfum before I got a hold of the sample, so I didn’t know what to expect.

Would it just be an amped up 1 Million or closer to Intense? Well, I was actually quite surprised by the direction Paco Rabanne went with this one. So, please continue below as I share my complete thoughts on this scent.

What does 1 Million Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: grapefruit, solar leather, tuberose, pine, resin, amber

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne One 1 Million Pure Parfum Natural Spray For Men 100ml / 3.4oz

My Full Review

The opening act of 1 Million Parfum does bring to mind for me, the original 1 Million, but with alterations. If you replaced the blood orange with a juicy grapefruit note and added a warm semi-tropical twist to the leather, you’d have a good chunk of Parfum’s start.

I actually like it. It’s sweet, but has a unique flair that I wasn’t entirely expecting. This is a fragrance that does pull off a unique take, while maintaining that clear 1 Million DNA.

The white floral accord here, is really what helps to separate it from the pack. Initially, there seems like there is a good amount of tiare flower in this. That with the ‘solar notes’ and leather, gives this one a sort of island/beachy vibe. 

Yet, later on it will turn into mostly a tuberose fragrance. Anyway, the opening act is that grapefruit, tiare, solar leather blend. Underneath that, is a slightly salty ambergris and resin, which gives this one some more thickness.

It sticks to that track for a while, before the pine notes freshness peaks in. Leather and pine together do have that super fresh aroma, but it sort of stays underneath some of the other ingredients. It’s just a perpetual presence.

The final dry down is pretty simple. To me, it’s a blend of tuberose, leather, ambergris, and the remnants of the pine note. Honestly, it’s my least favorite part of 1 Million Parfum. Which sucks, as that’s what it is for most of the wear, after the first few hours.

It’s kind of a letdown after that opening act. I liked the kind of tropical aroma version of the original 1 Million, it was a nice change of pace from the norm.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage here doesn’t feel extreme to me, but it is pretty powerful at first. It does project itself well, but sometimes it seems like it sneaks up on you, especially once that pronounced grapefruit note has fade. But, it’s not disappointing.

Longevity seems to fall in the 8 to 10 hour range. Very good, but not elite, at least on my skin. It does hang around for at least a full workday, so, no real complaints. I don’t know, I was expecting it to be more of a beast, but it’s really solid.

Seasonally, I’d say, autumn through spring. It’s not a super heavy fragrance and it does have some tropical elements, but I’m not sure that it’ll do well in the heat of summer. It’s already a warm scent, with resin, and plenty of ambergris. As such, it might melt.

Like the other entries in the 1 Million line, this does have a more youthful vibe. Not like the teenager quality of Lucky, rather, closer to Prive. Once it settles, it does have a mature and stylish character.

 

I’d wear this casually, out a night, or walking around town during the day. Wouldn’t really classify it as an office wear. Attractive and it does have a certain sexiness to it. 1 Million Parfum isn’t going to be one you reach for on formal occasions. 

Overall Impressions of 1 Million Parfum

Do I like this fragrance? I do. However, I’m also not blown away by it. I like the opening act way more than I do the draw down. Way too much of a fresh floral between the pine, leather, and tuberose…which, admittedly isn’t one of my favorite flowers.

I don’t think it’s a bad option, though. I do like that they at least went in a unique direction with Parfum, while giving nods to the original. For me, I’d still rather wear Prive and probably the original 1 Million ahead of this. 

Update: Also, 1 Million Elixir. Since that has come out since this original review was posted.

It wears on me, as it moves along, and I almost get fatigued from that dry down. Though, I can see why there will be people who will be completely into Parfum. I won’t be getting a full bottle, but it’s not a terrible fragrance, and it definitely has enjoyable aspects.

It could’ve been something really different and interesting, but didn’t make it to anything approaching classic status. 

Paco Rabanne Lady Million vs Prive Perfume Comparison

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Alright, so, I’ve already reviewed these two Paco Rabanne perfumes and now it is time to do a full head to head comparison between: Lady Million vs. Lady Million Prive. Which of these eau de parfums, is the better buy? What are the differences? Which performs the best? Please continue below for my full breakdown.

Tale of the Tape

Lady Million EDP

Notes include: jasmine, gardenia, patchouli, orange blossom, neroli, bitter orange, raspberry, honey, and amber

Click here to try: Lady Million by Paco Rabanne Eau De Parfum Spray for Women, 2.70 Ounce

Read my original review: Lady Million EDP Review

Lady Million Prive EDP

Notes included: raspberry, vanilla, patchouli, cocoa bean, honey, orange blossom, heliotrope, wood

Click here to try: Paco Rabanne Lady Million Prive Eau de Parfum Spray, 2.7 Ounce

Read my original review: Lady Million Prive EDP

Opening

The original Lady Million opens up with white floral notes like jasmine, gardenia, and orange blossom. These are paired with a juicy raspberry note. The raspberry isn’t super powerful and is tempered by the floral notes.

The honey and patchouli are hanging out in the background, but those really emerge 30 minutes in, and take over the composition.

Prive, on the other hand, has the same raspberry note except that it is really juicy and fully developed. Prive is darker than the original Lady Million and has much more of a fruity vibe.

The raspberry is paired with a creamy vanilla note and the same orange blossom. It is sweeter and has more warmth than does Lady Million.

Which is better? I actually prefer the opening of Prive more so than the original. I enjoy the raspberry top and the sweet darkness more than the floral opening of Lady Million.

Edge: Prive

Projection

These are both moderate fragrances overall. However, Prive does start off stronger, even if they are eventually both on the same level of intensity.

Prive feels heavier from the jump and then becomes a moderate, while Lady Million is pretty consistent.

Lady Million just doesn’t have that same initial pop that Prive can give you in the early stages.

Edge: Prive

Longevity

These two perfumes seem to be equal in terms of how long they last on the skin. In my testing, they both could hit 8 hours without issue.

Each of them are pretty good and will stick around for a standard workday. However, they don’t go beyond that. No clear cut winner, here.

Edge: Push

Versatility

Both of these perfumes can be worn on many occasions from casual to office to a night out on the town. However, Prive is much more limited to colder weather.

Lady Million is a cold weather scent, but it can venture into the springtime or early summer. In that regard, it takes this category.

It’s not much of a difference, but it could be useful those who live in a climate that takes a while to build up to summer temperatures.

Edge: Lady Million

Overall Scent

Ultimately, both of these fragrances are led by a honey note. In Lady Million, the honey note is paired with the white flowers, raspberry, and some patchouli. It is sweet but more of a floral/honey sweetness.

Prive, has that same honey, but adds more patchouli. The dry down is full of cocoa bean and a warm gourmand quality. It is rich and dry and there s even an emergent woodiness to the fragrance as it moves further along.

Which Paco Rabanne do I prefer? Ehhh, neither of these perfumes is amazing. Both are solid and have plenty of similarities.

However, I would lean more towards Prive than the original. I like the dark sweetness, the cocoa bean, and how it develops from juicy raspberry to dry woods.

If you prefer floral fragrances, then, Lady Million will probably be the better bet. It’s not a huge distance between the two, as they have solid performance, but I give the slight edge to Prive.

Winner: Lady Million Prive